Hey guys, I've been offered and seriously considering a position with the US Border Patrol at their San Clement Station. I'm a prior BPA having been stationed in Tucson for a short period before I left the BP to pursue another G-job. I am now deciding between the BP and another agency with a location in Houston, TX.

I've driven by the checkpoint at San Onofre hundreds of times and seen the BP vehicles but never knew they had station there.

Has anyone worked there, interact with or been TDY to this station? If so, any information about their work duties would be greatly appreciated. Checkpoint operations is what I see as their primary duties but beyond that I do not know much else.

Not a bad station; they are really beefing it up so they are havinga full staff. I have interected with them lately, and they have a pretty good station now. They have a new pursuit policy, so the old policy of 10-3 the pursuits by the Sups is now gone!! They have been doing a lot of FTY's and have been able to keep the pursuit going. You can live in the OC and not have to have a crappy commute.

If you want a lower cost of living and the highest COLA in the nation, take the job in Houston. A lot of people would kill to have that AOR.

California is flat expensive. You will either have the option of living in San Clemente which is the closest town in Orange County but pricey. Or you can travel south to Oceanside whcih is San Diego County. I did both. I ended up in Oceanside because it was a small bit cheaper but the drive was twice that of San Clemente. Either way it is expensive. You will have to accept that housing is expensive partially because of the Marine Corps. I don't mean that in a bad way it just is the reality of the housing availability.

If you have kids you need to think about the schools as well. Personally I would rather have my kids in and Orange County School over a San Diego school. That's just a personal opinion...

The checkpoint can be busy or slow. If they keep the checkpoint up on a weekend it can be a madhouse...lots of work. Other times slow. At least during the summer months the "view" is very nice. (((think beaches and Ca girls) Be careful of the drunks blasting the checkpoint...it happens. Luckily the guys managed to dodge them when I was there. My experience was limited to Chula Sector a long time ago but I enjoyed the checkpoint much more than line watch.